Moving to DC even though I have never been there (Washington: apartments, rent)

[ldw4686]

My husband and I want to move to the DC area. He wants a job with the Pentagon or CIA, he's x-military. And I am in the advertising industry in Kansas City. My questions are: we have never been to DC, will we like it? We are adventurous and love to try new things. I have also been to NYC and loved it, is it comparable? Also - which areas would be good to live in - we would probably pull down between the 2 of us about 80K. We also have 2 dogs, so we want an area that is pet friendly and has parks. We do want to be close to a metro, b/c we will only have 1 car to cut down on expenses.

Any help would be great! Thanks

[mettler]

I currently reside in Silver Spring about a mile from the redline metro. I rent a house with a fenced in yard for my black lab at $1650. When I was looking at moving here with a dog I was told Takoma Park/Silver Spring would be the place to look...so far so good

[ldw4686]

Where did you find your house? All I have seen are apts that go for that.

[mettler]

I found it on craigslist. I got very lucky. There are a few others closer to 2k that I was looking at.

[Zippy7fo]

He will love dc and dc will love him because of his military background and if he has clearance life will be bliss for him. 80 grand is good enuff but expect to make more especially if you have long experience. It just depends on what you find desireable but I recommend Nova for military types. Arlington or Fairfax would be a good start.

[Bluefly]

Check out the thread Washington vs. New York.

DC's very different from New York, but far more similar to NY than it is to Kansas City.

NY - tall, dense, diverse, many industries based there, creating a very eclectic culture.

DC - very European feeling due to broad boulevards and height restrictions, more laid back but still very bustling and urban; built primarily upon politics / government, so a much more homogenous culture of highly educated or trained professionals.

I'm sure you'll like it, based on what you said. It has a lot to offer as a city.

[chrisherbert]

Pentagon and CIA are in Virginia. It's true that NOVA has more military people though I don't know if you really care much about that.

You might try South Arlington. It's very close to the Pentagon, cheaper than North Arlington, and generally more dog friendly (more houses vs. apartments). It's also cheaper than Arlington's "Wilson Corridor" though not as urbanized.

Houses would run you $1600-$2000/month.

Westover in Arlington is very also nice, definitely dog-friendly, relatively close to the metro, and cheaper than the stuff further east.

[ldw4686]

Also - I have been looking through several other posts about moving to DC, and I keep seeing NOVA. Where is that? Sorry- I am from the midwest

[LIS123]

NOVA is Northern Virginia, which is one large section of the DC metro are outside the District of Columbia itself. The other large section is in Maryland (Montgomery and PG counties, for example).

[talktobrent]

First off, go there and see for yourself. Even if it's one day, rent a car and drive around. I don't think it's much like NYC at all, but that's just me. Second, you don't need to move to DC to apply for such work. The hiring process for the CIA and probably 90% of the Federal government begins online. I also wouldn't make concrete plans on anything, I think the CIA is probably one of the most selective employers on the planet.